Zambia plans to amend VAT rule 18 which requires exporters to produce import certificates from destination countries because of feasibility issues. The Minister of Finance wrote to the President asking that the VAT rule be limited to export verification.

Zambia National Commercial Bank (ZANACO) launched the “loan-a-cow” scheme – the first of its kind in Zambia. Through the scheme, smallholder farmers will be able to acquire cow-loans at an interest rate of 16 percent from ZANACO through their respective cooperatives. The farmer then services the loan through revenues from milk produced from his/her cow which is purchased by milk processors Parmalat/Zam Milk. The processor pays a percentage of the full amount they are supposed to pay the farmer to ZANACO i.e. interest payment. If a farmer can consistently produce 30 litres of milk per day, the loan can be repaid in 3 years.

The Twin Palm shopping mall opened its gates to customers last week. It cost $10m to develop over a period of two years by PMTP Zambia and will be managed by Knight Frank Zambia. The mall has 26 stores with a combined workforce of 500 and boasts Shoprite as its anchor tenant. The shopping mall is adequately positioned to cater to residents of Ibex Hill, Avondale, Salama Park and Chainda.

Lusaka Mayor at mall opening

Inspectors from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) are in town from the 9th to the 15th of August in order to assess Zambia’s bid to host the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2019. The inspectors will be visiting various stadia, training facilities and accommodations in Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, Chingola, Chililabombwe and Livingstone. Zambia is one of five bidders looking to bring home the 2019 AFCON - Guinea, Ivory Coast, Algeria and Cameroon (DRC withdrew their bid). The CAF executive will decide on the hosts for 2019 as well as 2021 in September 2014 at a meeting in Cairo.

Dutch airline KLM is set to discontinue direct flights from Lusaka to Amsterdam as of October 28 2014, two years after it started (and also a year after British Airways cut the Lusaka-London route). The carrier cited high operational costs as well as well a sub-optimal passenger mix which made the route unprofitable. The route will instead be serviced by KLMs strategic partner Kenya Airways via Nairobi to Amsterdam/Paris/London.